1. phrasal verbIf you
play up something, you emphasize it and
try to make people
believe that it is
important.
The media played up the prospects for a settlement. [VERB PARTICLE noun]
His Japanese ancestry has been played up by some of his opponents. [VERB PARTICLE noun, be VERB-ed PARTICLE]
[Also VERB noun PARTICLE] 2. phrasal verb [usually cont, no passive]If something such as a machine or a part of your body
is playing up or
is playing you
up, it is causing
problems because it is not
working properly.
The engine had been playing up. [VERB PARTICLE]
It was his back playing him up. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
3. phrasal verb[British, informal]Patrick often plays up when he knows I'm in a hurry. [VERB PARTICLE]
playCOBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
